October is National Reading Group Month

National Reading Group Month was launched in October of 2007 by the Women’s National Book Association in an effort to formally recognize the benefits of shared reading and to encourage more people to join of start reading groups.  It’s the perfect time to tell you about Syosset Public Library’s programs for reading groups.

The Book Club in the Bag program has over 50 titles which are available for your book discussions.  Each Book Club in a Bag contains 10 copies of the title as well as a binder containing background and critical analysis of the book.  Just visit or call the Readers’ Services Desk (516 921-7161 x241) to reserve a Book Club in a Bag.  Brochures containing all the titles that are available can be picked up there also.

 
While you are at the library to reserve your Book Club in a Bag, why not register your book club in Syosset Public Library’s Book Club Registry.  Benefits for book clubs who register are

• Advance notice of new Book Club in a Bag titles
• Priority Book Reservations
• Discussion questions and other book info via email
• Assistance with finding new members
• Monthly book club newsletter
• Prearranged pick up of your selected titles

Visit the Readers Services desk on the second floor for more information on the above as well as any assistance you might need for finding the right books for your discussions. Happy Reading!

-posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services

 

 

 

Monthly Book Club Recap – “Room” by Emma Donoghue

Last month, I served as moderator for our May book discussion of Room by Emma Donoghue.  “Room” is home to 5 year old Jack but to his “Ma” “Room” represents an 11 by 11 foot prison where she has been held captive for the past 7 years at the hands of her abductor.  Narrated by Jack, Room explores the intense bond between mother and child and the confines of their physical world.  Room was short listed for the 2010 Man Book Prize and was one of the New York Times top 10 books of 2010.

To capture the horrific conditions that Jack and Ma endured, I outlined an 11 by 11 foot square  on the floor in the center of the discussion group with masking tape.  As our group of 31 discussed the book, our eyes kept looking at that 11 by 11 foot space and trying to imagine existing in that small space for the last seven years with no connection to the outside world.  It was an effective tool that enhanced the discussion.  Most participants liked the book, even with its difficult subject matter.  A few people found the author’s use of 5 year old Jack as narrator to be a poor choice but most found Jack’s narration added to the books dynamic. The group also touched upon such topics as child abduction, motherhood, the human condition, resilience, isolation, faith, hope and bravery just to name a few.  Everyone agreed that the author paid close attention to detail in capturing the element of setting.  We also discussed such infamous child abduction cases as Ethan Patz and Jaycee Lee Dugard.  A few members of the group, myself included, had read Jaycee Lee Dugard’s memoir “A Stolen Life” and we briefly discussed a few topics in this book as well.  I finished up the discussion by asking the group what they would miss most about the outside world if they were to find themselves in a situation similar to Jack and Ma’s.  The majority of the group said they would miss having contact with family and friends, while others said they would miss the chance to breathe fresh air and see the seasons change.

Room is an emotionally charged book.  The grim subject matter stays with you long after you have finished reading it.  As was evidenced from our discussion group, there were many topics to discuss.  If you are thinking about Room as a book choice for you book group or just want to have some additional information about the book, I would suggest visiting www.roomthebook.com.  This is an interactive website for the book which has the floor plan of  “Room” as the author envisioned it.

- posted by Lisa J., Readers’ Services

“A Game of Thrones”Book Discussion

Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at 7 PM

First there were the books and now there is a TV show.  Why does everyone love the five-book fantasy series written by George R. R. Martin?  Let’s find out together by reading and discussing the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series.

“Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.”  (From the Publisher)

Winter is coming…

This program is free. 

Books are available at the circulation desk.

- posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services

20-Something Book Club

The Syosset Public Library 20-Something Book Club will be meeting on Monday, March 5^th  at 7PM to discuss the novel

“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro.

“From the Booker Prize-winning author of The Remains of the Day comes a devastating novel of innocence, knowledge, and loss. As children Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their charges of how special they were.  Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life. And for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special–and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together. Suspenseful, moving, beautifully atmospheric, Never Let Me Go is another classic by the author of The Remains of the Day.” (From the Publisher)

This program is open to any 20-something looking for a great book discussion.  No registration is required and the program is free.  Non-Syosset residents are welcome.  Copies of the book are now available at the Readers’ Services Desk on the 2^nd floor.  Please call 516-921-7161 x 239 for details.  The discussion will be led by 20-Something Librarians Jackie Ranaldo and Jessikah Chautin.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Don’t forget – Friend us on Facebook:

Syosset Public Library 20-Something Book Club

 - posted by Jackie, Readers’ Services

Not What I Expected: Books That Fell Short

One of the great pleasures in life is settling down in a comfortable seat with a book that you have been looking forward to reading.  More often than not, you have chosen well and an enjoyable reading experience results.  But every once in a while a book does not live up to the expectations engendered by glowing reviews or tremendous word of mouth.   This can leave you feeling disappointed and irritated, sometimes even a little bit angry.  Our staff shares some of the books that fell short:

Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

After he crashes his plane into Lake Champlain, killing most of the passengers, Chip Linton moves into a new home with his wife and twin daughters and soon finds himself being haunted by the dead passengers, all while his wife wonders why the strange herbalist denizens of the town have taken such an interest in her daughters.

“I was very disappointed.  For me his books are always gripping…real page turners.  I always find something worth speaking about, but this just left me saying ‘what the heck?’  Hope he gets back to what he does best.” – Rosemarie, senior library clerk.

Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

The books follow the protagonists Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell and Zeddicus Zu’l Zorander on their quest to defeat oppressors who seek to control the world and those who wish to unleash evil upon the world of the living.

“I’d heard a lot of good things about this series, but finally started reading it after it’s tv incarnation, Legend of the Seeker, began airing.  The tv series had great characters and a moving plot, but the books were incredibly disappointing.  If I’m going to invest in reading a series that’s 10+ books, 700+ pages per book, it has to be really well written.  If this is your style, I recommend The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan instead.” -Megan, Reference Librarian

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.  It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.  Behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose.  Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love…

“The hype for this book was enormous and I expected a wonderful read.  I found the story very disappointing.” – Evelyn, Librarian Trainee.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Rendered a latest test subject in a covert government experiment, abandoned six-year-old Amy is rescued by an FBI agent who hides them in the Oregon hills, from which she emerges a century later to save the human race from a terrifying virus.

“I found this 700+ page book to be boring, mainly due to the fact that I never came to care about even one of the large cast of characters.  What kept me reading was that buzz about the book: it had to get better…but it never did!” – Sonia, Readers’ Services Librarian

- posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services

Three New Museum Passes!

The Syosset Public Library has recently added the following museums to its Museum Pass Program:

The Garvies Point Museum and Preserve

Located in Glen Cove, NY the Garvies Point Museum and Preserve is part of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums whose mission is to preserve and interpret the county’s natural, prehistoric and historic heritage. The preserve consists of 62 acres.  There are 5 miles of marked natural trails including trails for the blind.  There are approximately 60 species of trees as well as numerous shrubs, vines and wildflowers which attract more than 140 species of birds.  A trail guide to the preserve is available at the museum.

The museum is a center for research on Long Island geology and a valued resource in the study of the Island’s Native American archaeology.  Collections of archaeological artifacts and geological phenomena are used in exhibits and Museum educational programs.  The Syosset Public Library’s has 2 passes – each pass  admits 4 adults or 2 adults and up to 4 children ages 5 to 12.  Children under 5 are free.  There is also a 10% discount on all merchandise at the gift shop.

The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County

The Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County presents a detailed and comprehensive chronicle of the Holocaust.  The museum utilizes multimedia displays, artifacts, archival footage and testimonies from local survivors and liberators.  The museum introduces visitors to the evolution of Nazism and the repercussions of WWI and concludes with the aftermath of Nazism and emphasizes the issues of displaced persons camps and post-genocide justice.  The museum also examines current genocides and provides the context for understanding situations of intolerance and offers age-appropriate tools for combating them.  Due to the nature of the exhibits, the museum is not recommended for children under the age of 10.  The museum is located at 100 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove, NY.  We have one pass which admits 2 adults and up to 4 children.

The Nassau County Firefighters Museum & Education Center

Located on Museum Row in Garden City the Nassau County Firefighters Museum & Education Center provides a unique setting for display and interpretation of local volunteer fire services heritage via the collection, restoration and exhibition of contemporary firematic memorabilia and equipment.  The exhibits help public appreciation and awareness of the fire services in Nassau County and helps stimulate volunteer recruitment in fire departments.  A major goal of the museum is to educate and inform the public about fire safety and prevention.  There is an interactive gallery where people of all ages can learn how to protect themselves, their families and property from fires, burns and other household hazards.  The Syosset Public Library has one pass to this museum which admits a group of four visitors at a time.

To make a reservation for the above museums or any museum in our Museum pass program, please visit our website at www.syossetlibrary.org and click on the “Museum Pass” link or stop by the Readers’ Services desk on the 2nd floor.  You may also place a reservation for a museum by calling The Readers’ Services Desk at (516) 921-7161 ext. 239.  We also recommend visiting museum websites for additional information on hours of operation and holiday closings as they are subject to change.

- posted by Lisa J., Readers’ Services

5 Books We’re Reading Now

The Magician King by Lev Grossman

Quentin and his friends are now the kings and queens of Fillory, but the days and nights of royal luxury are starting to pall.  After a morning hunt takes a sinister turn, Quentin and his old friend Julia charter a magical sailing ship and set out on an errand to the wild outer reaches of their kingdom.  Their pleasure cruise becomes an adventure when the two are unceremoniously dumped back into the last place Quentin ever wants to see: his parent’s house in Chesterton, Massachusetts.  And only the black, twisted magic that Julia learned on the streets can save them. – Jessikah Chautin, Children’s Services Librarian

Elizabeth and Hazel : Two Women of Little Rock by David Margolick.

The names Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan Massery may not be well known, but the image of them from September 1957 surely is: a black high school girl, dressed in white, walking stoically in front of Little Rock Central High School, and a white girl standing directly behind her, face twisted in hate, screaming racial epithets.  This famous photograph captures the full anguish of desegregatio … and an epic moment in the civil rights movement.  (This book) explores how the haunting picture of Elizabeth and Hazel came to be taken, its significance in the wider world, and why, for the next half-century, neither woman has ever escaped from its long shadow. – Betty Petreshock, Reference Services Librarian

Dangerous Instincts : How Gut Feelings Betray Us by Mary Ellen O’Toole and Alisa Bowman

A former FBI profiler and regular Smithsonian lecturer shares guidelines for protecting oneself from physical, financial, legal and professional harm, outlining the author’s “SMART” method for everything from responding to random threats and hiring babysitters to finding honest investment advisors and seeking employment. – Megan Kass, Reference Services Librarian

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom.

Lavinia, a seven-year-old Irish orphan with no memory of her past, arrives on a tobacco plantation where she is put to work as an indentured servant. Placed with the slaves in the kitchen house under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate daughter, Lavinia becomes deeply bonded to her new adopted family, even though she is forever set apart from them by her white skin. As Lavinia is slowly accepted into the world of the big house, where the master is absent and the mistress battles an opium addiction, she finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds. – Pam Strudler, Librarian Trainee

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, sixteen-year-old Katniss’s skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister’s place. - Rosemarie Birofka, Circulation Clerk 

- posted by Sonia, Readers’ Services

Animal . . . Vegetable . . . Mineral?

What are we exactly?

For those of us who loved the Planet of the Apes movies and were able to suspend disbelief long enough to imagine Apes, Chimpanzees and Monkeys (not the singing group) as our intellectual equals but simply without the necessary language skills, a debut book, The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore,  by new writer Benjamin Hale might just tickle your opposing thumb.

Hale writes of an unlikely truly original narrator, Bruno Littlemore, a chimpanzee with an amazing I.Q. who is brought to the University of Chicago to learn to communicate through spoken language.  Bruno falls in love with researcher Lydia Littlemore, who takes him first to her apartment and later to a Colorado ranch owned by a couple of odd animal rights advocates.

It is at this ranch that Bruno becomes a fully articulate and artistic being, less ape and more man.  His relationship with Lydia, one of the more bizarre aspects of the book replaces the human/pet relationship with man/woman feelings and actions (yes, I do mean that in the literal sense).

Eventually, Bruno and Lydia are forced to leave the ranch and from that point on, if possible, Bruno’s life becomes a twisted human menu of life in New York City, an acting career and plastic surgery.  I found this book a fascinating and interesting read, but I have no desire to see it made into a movie.

-posted by Jill, Readers’ Services